Review of employee progress is conducted annually at The University of Tennessee Space Institute through the use of the Performance Evaluation and Goal Setting (PEGS) Form, functionally a management by objectives appraisal form. The procedure is initiated and completed by March 1.

The PEGS form is used by the supervisor to evaluate performance during the calendar year period preceding the evaluation date and used by the supervisor and employee to establish goals and objectives for the year-long period following the evaluation date. Alternative evaluation forms which accomplish the same purposes may be used at director/supervisor discretion.

A formal review of affirmative action performance may be a requirement for certain administrators and directors due to provisions of the statewide public higher education desegregation lawsuit. Such reviews as necessary will be noted on the PEGS forms when issued.

Proper evaluation and goal-setting consists of a discussion between the supervisor and the employee along with completion of the PEGS form reflecting written input from both the employee and the supervisor. The evaluation should reflect a cooperative process of defining goals and objectives that the employee will be encouraged to accomplish during the coming evaluation period. Supervisors should reflect in the PEGS form any performance problems or noteworthy performance accomplishments from the current evaluation period along with an appraisal of goals and objectives met and not met. The evaluation process should be candid and open for both supervisor and employee to comment freely.

An appraisal of performance for the current evaluation period should be made on the basis of stated goals and objectives except in cases such as outlined below where a general appraisal not using goals and objectives may be more appropriate:

1. Employees hired since last year's evaluation for whom current goals and objectives have not been set.
2. Staff non-exempt employees currently in the probationary period or for whom the probationary period has just ended.
3. Employees who transferred to a new supervisor during the current evaluation period and for whom goals and objectives have not yet been developed with the gaining supervisor.
4. Employees whose jobs involve the performance of very routine duties which do not lend themselves to the setting of goals and objectives.

The overall quality of performance as reflected in the PEGS form should be one of the factors that unit budget heads consider in recommending raises for their employees for the coming fiscal year (subject to the provisions of each year's salary budget guidelines). A good evaluation should have a positive effect upon and a poor evaluation should have a constraining effect upon the amount of raise provided, in those years in which the guidelines provide such flexibility. Supervisors are asked to include on the PEGS form a general assessment of performance of the employee, describing it either as excellent, good, fair, poor, or unsatisfactory.

In addition to the standard performance evaluation (PEGS form), it is now required that a Staff Performance Review Summary Form be completed for all staff employees of the University of Tennessee.  The Staff Performance Review Summary Form is used to record an overall evaluation in accomplishments, service and relationships, accountability and dependability, adaptability and flexibility, and decision making or problem solving.

The instructions for completing this form can be found at Performance Review Instruction Form.

Supervisors should make two copies of the PEGS form and the Staff Performance Review Summary Form. One copy is kept by the supervisor, one copy is provided to the employee, and the originals are sent to the Human Resources Office for filing in the official personnel file.

Forms required:

PEGS Form

Staff Performance Review Summary Form -- Performance Review Instruction Form